Do not smoke, vape, dip, or snuff tobacco. These methods damage endothelial cells, contain carcinogens, significantly reduce lifespan (e.g., 14-year reduction per pack/day), and increase risks of various cancers, strokes, heart attacks, and cognitive decline.
Individuals 25 years old or younger, especially those 15 or younger, should avoid ingesting nicotine in any form unless medically prescribed. This prevents nicotine dependence and allows neural circuits to develop without relying on chemical enhancement, which can otherwise wire the brain for rapid, dramatic dopamine increases.
Understand that the first week of quitting nicotine will be particularly challenging, with mood and alertness feeling worse than baseline. This occurs because the body’s homeostatic mechanisms have adjusted to offset nicotine-induced peaks, leading to a lower baseline when nicotine is removed.
Utilize clinical hypnosis, such as that offered by the Reveri app, for smoking or vaping cessation. A single session has a 23% success rate by directing brain changes toward the goal and remapping neural circuits involved in craving, significantly higher than quitting cold turkey.
Employ a combination of nicotine replacement therapies like patches, gum, and nasal sprays, switching between them (e.g., one for a week, then another for a week). This approach provides nicotine without harmful delivery devices, maintains dopamine levels, and keeps the system intentionally off balance by varying absorption kinetics, helping to overcome addiction.
Consult a board-certified physician for a prescription of bupropion (Wellbutrin), typically 300 mg/day, if appropriate. This medication increases dopamine and norepinephrine, offsetting withdrawal symptoms and improving mood, which can increase cessation success rates to about 20%.
During nicotine withdrawal, actively engage in healthy activities that increase dopamine, such as cold showers, ice baths, exercise, and positive social interactions. This helps to offset the reduction in dopamine and negative mood associated with withdrawal, aiding in getting through the critical first week of cessation.
Practice a daily 13-minute meditation by sitting or lying down, closing your eyes, and directing attention to a spot just between and above your eyes (about an inch behind the forehead). Continually refocus your attention to this location when it drifts, as this vastly increases focus and focusability, and improves mood.
Dissolve one packet of Element (electrolytes without sugar) in 16 to 32 ounces of water first thing in the morning and during any physical exercise. This ensures adequate hydration and electrolyte balance (sodium, magnesium, potassium) which are critical for optimal brain and body function, as even slight dehydration diminishes performance.
For adults 25 years or older, occasional nicotine ingestion (not via smoking, vaping, dipping, or snuffing) might enhance cognitive function. Nicotine can increase acetylcholine, epinephrine, and dopamine simultaneously, leading to increased focus, motivation, and working memory, creating an alert yet relaxed state ideal for mental work.
Take 300 milligrams of alpha-GPC 10 to 30 minutes before a bout of cognitive or physical work to acutely increase focus by boosting acetylcholine and epinephrine. Prioritize behavioral tools first, and consider taking 600 mg of a garlic capsule to offset potential TMAO increases from alpha-GPC.
After successfully quitting nicotine, consider a routine hypnosis approach (e.g., once a month or once a week) to reinforce the neural circuits that are allowing you to stay away from nicotine. This helps to ’tighten the bolts’ on the circuitry and prevent the impulse to relapse.
Utilize the Waking Up app for various meditation programs, mindfulness trainings, yoga nidra, and non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) protocols. These practices can teach different types of meditation to place the brain and body into desired states and restore cognitive and physical energy, even with short 10-minute sessions.
Avoid consuming alcohol when trying to quit smoking or vaping. Alcohol consumption is associated with a much higher probability of relapse due to interactions between alcohol and nicotine.
Enhance ongoing motivation by using cognitive processing, such as telling yourself you are doing a good job and moving forward. Thoughts can directly impact your levels of dopamine, which provides a continuous push towards your goals.